Stop the spread of urban sprawl

bristol | the environment | news report Thursday September 18, 2008 18:44 by Chris - Save Siston and Warmley Green Spaces

Local groups formed to oppose the loss of green belt land around Bristol to increasing urban sprawl.

As Bristolians we are all fortunate in the fact that we are but a short distance from some spectacular natural scenery and open spaces. However, proposals set out in the South West Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) would involve the building of some 33,000 houses on green belt land around Bristol, including 17,500 in South Gloucestershire, 8,000 of which will be east of Kingswood.

If this goes ahead it would mean the loss of a much-valued rural area the size of Bradley Stoke, resulting in the communities of Oldland Common, Bridgeyate, Webbs Heath, Goose Green and Shortwood engulfed within this urban sprawl.

However, there are also other areas around Bristol where the green belt is under threat, including Dundry, Yate, Whitchurch, and Keynsham, as well as Bath.

The Save Siston and Warmley Green Spaces group has been set up in order to oppose the plans, whilst other local groups are also being formed around Bristol, such as Dundry and Shortwood, with forthcoming public meetings planned in other areas, such as Pucklechurch and Yate. Support for the campaign to oppose the destruction of our countryside has been encouraging, but it needs your help too.

The initial Draft Issues and Options consultation period was opened and closed without local residents even being aware of its existence. However, the secretary of state has now published Proposed Changes to the Draft RSS Consultation, and the consultation period now runs until Friday 24th October 2008. Objections can be made via the GOSW (Government Office for the South West) web site, by email, or by post on a designated form.

Details of all this can be found on the SBWGS website at www.saveourgreenspaces.org, where further details of the campaign can also be found. It is also hoped that this site will act as a central hub for other local groups around Bristol.

Please do get involved before our last remaining open spaces disappear under concrete forever.